Geotextile tubes are constructed of a plurality of geotextile sheets connected to one another through the formation of seams. When used as an erosion control device, material can be dredged from a nearby body of water or transported to the site and mixed in a slurry or mechanically inserted dry. Any water present in the fill material will flow through the geotextile sheets making up the geotextile tube leaving the resultant structure with a generally cylindrical or ovoid shape. Geotextile tubes can also be filled with materials such as sludge, slurries, sediments, and emulsions. In these instances, removal of water from the aforementioned fill material is desired. Water present in these materials can again flow through the sheets of the geotextile tube to result in a more solid component remaining within the geotextile tube for easier sell, reuse or disposal.
One problem associated with geotextile tubes involves tearing of the geotextile sheet that results in leakage of the material contained therein. For example, a geotextile tube used to control beach erosion may become torn and sand or other fill material contained therein may be washed out due to wave action striking the geotextile tube. Tears in the geotextile tube can result through contact with driftwood, improperly formed seams that connect the geotextile sheets, or through forces placed onto the seams during operations such as filling of the geotextile tube. Tears may also occur as a result of forces placed onto portions of the geotextile tube such as the fill port when the geotextile tube is attempted to be moved, repositioned, or through stress applied by a filling hose at the fill port.
The seams of a geotextile tube are generally the weakest portion of the entire structure and are thus the most likely area prone to failure. Present construction of some geotextile tubes involve attaching geotextile sheets together so that longitudinal, spiral, or circumferential seams are formed along the length of the geotextile tube. The ends of the geotextile tube are then closed with one or more transverse seams. The location and arrangement of these transverse seams often subjected them to pulling or tearing forces which cause their failure.
An additional weak spot in conventional geotextile tubes can be found at the fill ports. Typically, the fill port is formed by cutting a circular hole at the top of the geotextile tube and mechanically sewing a small cylindrical tube made from a geotextile sheet thereto. The resulting seam is generally poorly formed due to its circular shape. Also, the circular hole cut into the top of the geotextile tube does not have a factory selvage about its circumference. As such, this area is subject to raveling and can pull loose when placed under stress. As such, there remains room for variation and improvement within the art.